Pike County  Georgia Newspapers - John Akin - Fannie McClendon 1893
**********************************************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit 
or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use 
this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative 
of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The 
submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free 
access. http://www.usgwarchives.net
Copyright.  All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
**********************************************************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Lynn Cunningham  lcunnin1@bellsouth.net 

Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/pike.htm
Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm


The Pike County Journal
Zebulon, Pike Co., Ga., Friday, February 2, 1894

A Touching Incident

Forty years ago, my uncle John C. Akin, courted and married a beautiful
girl in her teens. Her name was Fannie McClendon. Her parents had moved
from this State to Mississippi. She was on a visit to some of her
friends and relatives in Jasper county, Ga., and it was during this
visit of two or three months love was made and the marriage was
consummated. The parents of both were well pleased with the match. It
was a happy union and gave promise of many years of bright sunshine.

Five weeks passed away and the young couple decided they would make a
trip out to Mississippi in a covered wagon to see the wife's parents and
look after some secular interests. Preparation was made for the journey.
The wagon was put in trim. Rations both cooked and raw were boxed up. A
young man by the name of Shephard [sp] was hired to drive.

Three weeks before Christmas, on Monday morning in 1849, the two bay
horses, Tom and Bob, were hitched and the wagon was loaded with
commissaries, and the young couple with their driver started to
Mississippi. The first night they struck camp midway between Monticello
and Griffin. The next day they went several miles beyond what is now
known as Williamson and struck camp near Hollonville. They had a
pleasant trip so far, for the weather was fine and the roads were good.
They were in the finest spirits and the weather was enjoyable. The
morning they left their camp at Hollonville they were well and happy as
mocking birds. The young wife was naturally gleeful; she had a face of
natural sunshine and it fairly sparkled from her deep blue eyes as they
journeyed along that morning. She was a sweet little woman and her words
fell like honey dew on the heart of her companion as the hours whiled
away. It was about 1 o'clock before they halted to feed the team and
rest and prepare for dinner. They came to a halt a few miles beyond
Greenville in Meriwether county. Fannie was soon out of the wagon, and
while Shephard and her husband were watering the horses at the branch
just a few feet away she was gathering up some small sticks and trash to
start a fire. As they were coming back she straightened up and calling
her husband's name she said: "Johnnie, I have a pain in my little
finger." He tied his horse to the trough at the back end of the wagon,
and turning he was startled to see his wife lying prostrate on the
ground. He ran to her and asked what was the matter.

She did not speak and never spoke again.

Shephard was dispatched in haste to Greenville for a physician, and a
family living in a hundred yards of the place were called, and they
kindly came and took her to the house and did all they could to save
her. The doctor came and did all he could, but before the sun went down
beautiful Fannie was cold and dead. On the second day thereafter in the
early morn, my uncle and Shephard and many strangers buried her in a
family graveyard not far from Greenville.

They were married only six weeks.

My uncle returned home with a broken heart and lived a widower fifteen
years.

Beautiful Fannie still sleeps in Meriwether county. My uncle never
visited the grave after he laid her to rest and marked it with a
stonewall.

The darkest cloud sometimes comes just after the sun has been shining
his brightest; the fair moon empress of the night, is sometimes eclipsed
at her brightest meridian, and sweet Fannie went out early in life. My
uncle went down under the cloud of death twenty years ago. They have no
doubt met to part no more. - E.K.A.

(Transcribed 10/29/02 Lynn Cunningham)